Resume Writing Award Winners

(TORI & WBRW)

Award-Winning Resume Writers and Their Winning Resumes

Toast of the Resume Industry Awards

Each year, CDI hosts the resume writing industry's most prestigious Toast of the Resume Industry™ (TORI) resume writing competition. This is an international competition in which contestants submit their best work in a category.

Learn more about the TORIs

The Toast of the Resume Industry (TORI) resume writing competition award winners represent the epitome of excellence for job seekers to stand out from the competition.

Here's what you need to know:

Resumes CAN be both ATS-friendly and offer low to high visual design levels. (See member video tutorials for high design and our step-by-step tutorial course for more information).
Not all jobs are found through online application or recruiters and may initially happen with a networking resume and be finished, as/if needed, with an ATS-friendly resume.

When viewing the winning resumes below you'll see two types from 2021 to present - high design for networking, unless they used the techniques in our trainings, or classic design, which are ATS-friendly yet still attractive.

At the end of the day the focus is first and foremost on writing. Judges time and time again do not pick the fanciest or most visually dynamic resume IF it is not also the best written.

According to CDI President, Laura DeCarlo, “TORI winners are the best of the best in their overall strategy of visual formatting and design, personal marketing, understanding and targeting of employer/position requirements, and use of powerful language. In a world where visual presentation and self-marketing has become an art open to everyone with smart phone apps, to win a TORI is the ultimate stamp of approval a resume writer could attain.”

Winners are selected by a blind panel of global industry experts. Nominees are selected followed by first, second, and third place winners in each category.

Learn more about entering the TORI Awards
TORI Awards FAQs

World's Best Resume Awards

CDI embarked on a unique competition in 2008 to find the World's Best Resume Writers!

The competition was opened to any English-writing individual in the world who wanted to try their hand at professional resume writing. The competition was standardized by providing all candidates the same note files. Two separate competitions were hosted with industry professional judges and the general public.

Selecting a Resume Writer to Hire

A resume writing award is just one of the criteria you should consider when selecting a resume writer to hire. We recommend you take a few moments to learn more about selecting a company at CDI's How to Select a Career Service Provider page.

Click to learn about CDI Resume Awards & ATS System Compatibility

Addendum 3/08/2021: CDI has changed the game with the TORI competition by introducing classic design categories.

Addendum 1/20/2020: It is now possible to make graphic resumes ATS-friendly! CDI has released a 94 minute video training that is free to members entitled How to Design ATS-Friendly Graphic Resumes. Now claims that these design-heavy resumes cannot be ATS compatible is no longer true. However, the following is still our current standing on the TORIs while we encourage everyone to embrace the techniques in this training.

TORI and World's Best Resumes are networking resumes, which are used for job seekers in networking their way into jobs. Networking is the method in which over 80% of all job opportunities are found.

A scannable resume or an ATS resume, meant for automated tracking systems, is needed when a job applicant is applying online or when that type of resume is requested. Professional resume writers will advise their clients to first have a visual resume -- one that combines visual impact, spatial segmentation of content for readability, and strategic branding to tease out the job seeker's unique value. To complement this resume, a scannable version is always needed. Depending on the method of job search this may be an ATS resume which is customized for each position or it might simply be an ASCII resume. Both of these require dumbing down the format by stripping out the elements that make it friendly for a human while ensuring the key words are needed to match the job ad.

When opportunities emerge for a job seeker where there is limited certainty on what version to use, it is a good idea to send both. A simple line in the cover letter stating, "For your convenience I have also included an ATS-friendly resume" will suffice.

Bottom-line, the TORI and World's Best resume represents the epitome of excellence for job seekers to stand out from the competition in a personalized, networked job search. An ATS-friendly resume is a necessary complement to that resume but should never be the ONLY tool a job seeker uses since they dehumanize the document. Until machines are the sole decision maker it will always be necessary to appeal to the human aesthetic.

2022 TORI Award Winners and Nominees

Nominees are listed in no particular order.

Best Classic Executive Resume

Melissa Orpen-Tuz - Vivid Career Services
Amy Britta Watt - www.CareerMarketingCentre.com & www.PoliceTestTutor.com
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Paula Christensen - Strategic Career Coaches
Rachel Raymond - RVP Career Services

1st Place
Eve Ruth

Senior Executive
Food & Beverage

2nd Place
Melissa Orpen-Tuz

Executive VP
Education

3rd Place
Rachel Raymond

President/CEO
Hospitality & Travel

Best Classic New Graduate Resume

Jheneal McDuffie - The Resume Chic & Co.
Amy Britta Watt - www.CareerMarketingCentre.com & www.PoliceTestTutor.com
Betsy Shepard Reed - BSR Career Development
Rebecca Worthen - Career Keystone
Tamara Cameron - iCareerSolutions

1st Place
Betsy Shepard Reed

Agribusiness Manager
Food & Beverage

2nd Place
Amy Britta Watt

Forensic Scientist
Healthcare & Pharmaceutical

3rd Place
Jheneal McDuffie

Clinical Research Coordinator
Healthcare & Pharmaceutical

Best Difficult Transition Resume

Pam Foster - Career Stylr
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Angela Watts - MyPro Resumes & Recruiting
Kamee Gilmore - Paradigm Solutions | PRCS Canada
Barbara Safani - Career Solvers

1st Place
Pam Foster

Social Worker
Healthcare & Pharmaceutical

2nd Place
Carolyn Whitfield

Entertainment Coordinator
Entertainment

3rd Place
Angela Watts

Program Manager
Communications & Technology

Best Executive Resume

Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Julio Mesa - Higher You LLC
Pam Foster - Career Stylr
Marie Plett - Aspirations Career Services, Inc.
Deborah Schuster - The Lettersmith

1st Place
Marie Plett

Hospitality Executive
Hospitality & Travel

2nd Place
Eve Ruth

Chief Strategy Officer
Communications & Technology, Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

3rd Place
Pam Foster

Vice President, HR
Communications & Technology, Construction, Food & Beverage

Best New Graduate Resume

Julio Mesa - Higher You LLC
Deborah Schuster - The Lettersmith
Ashley Watkins
Bridget Batson - Houston Outplacement Resume Writing and Career Counseling
Jheneal McDuffie - The Resume Chic & Co.

1st Place
Julio Mesa

Solutions Engineer
Communications & Technology

2nd Place
Bridget Batson

Elementary Teacher
Education

3rd Place
Ashley Watkins

Fashion Marketing Manager
Retail Sales

Best Classic Difficult Transition Resume

Kevin Morris - CareerMobile
Krista Morris - Virtuoso Resumes & Recruiting
Alexis Ankersen - Calibrate Career Coaching
Sally Johnson - Omnia Writing Services
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes

1st Place
Eve Ruth

Managing Director
Communications & Technology

2nd Place
Krista Morris

Sales Executive/Coach
Sports & Recreation

3rd Place
Kevin Morris

ESG Executive
Government

Best Classic High Tech Resume

Danielle "Elle" Holmes - Career Services by Elle
Tamara Cameron - iCareerSolutions
Kevin Morris - CareerMobile
Scott Nichols -Advanced Method Resumes & Career Services
Alexis Ankersen - Calibrate Career Coaching

1st Place
Danielle Holmes

Chief Information Officer
Communications & Technology

2nd Place
Kevin Morris

Vice President IT
Food & Beverage, Healthcare & Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing

3rd Place
Tamara Cameron

Vice President, IT
Communications & Technology

Best Healthcare/Medical Resume

Marie Plett - Aspirations Career Services, Inc.
Tamara Cameron - iCareerSolutions
Rachel Raymond - RVP Career Services
Alexandria Doyle
Sharon Williams - JobRockit

1st Place
Rachel Raymond

Chief Operations Officer
Personal Care

2nd Place
Marie Plett

Hospital Executive
Healthcare & Pharmaceutical

3rd Place
Tamara Cameron

Psychiatrist
Healthcare & Pharmaceutical

Best High Tech Resume

Marie Plett - Aspirations Career Services, Inc.
Jheneal McDuffie - The Resume Chic & Co.
Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Julio Mesa - The Essay Expert
Kamee Gilmore - Paradigm Solutions | PRCS Canada

1st Place
Kamee Gilmore

Chief Information Officer
Communications & Technology

2nd Place
Marie Plett

IT Director
Communications & Technology

3rd Place
Julio Mesa

Chief Technology Officer
Communications & Technology

Best Sales Resume

Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Melanie L. Denny - Resume-Evolution
Amy Britta Watt - www.CareerMarketingCentre.com & www.PoliceTestTutor.com
Bridget Batson - Houston Outplacement Resume Writing and Career Counseling
Deborah Schuster - The Lettersmith

1st Place
Deborah Schuster

Sales Manager
Construction

2nd Place
Amy Britta Watt

Business Development Manager
Food & Beverage, Manufacturing

3rd Place
Melanie L. Denny

Sales Executive
Consulting & Professional Services

Special Thanks to 2022 Judges:

Director of Awards - Gayle Howard - Top Margin Executive Resumes & Coaching

Erin Kennedy - Professional Resume Services, Inc.
Tiffany Hardy – TiffanyHardy.com
Skye Berry Burke - Skye is the Limit Resume & Career Solutions
Robin Schlinger - Robin's Resumes
Dawn Bugni - The Write Solution
Julie Walraven - Design Resumes
Tammy Shoup - Breakthrough Resume Writing Service, LLC
Grant Cooper - CareerPro of New Orleans / Strategic Resumes
Amy Adler - Five Strengths Career Transition Experts
Mary Elizabeth Bradford - Ceoresumewriter.com
Gillian Kelly - Outplacement Australia / Career Edge
Laura Labovich - The Career Strategy Group
Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter – Career Trend

2021 TORI Award Winners and Nominees

Nominees are listed in no particular order.

Best Classic Executive Resume

Melissa Orpen-Tuz
Amy Watt - www.CareerMarketingCentre.com & www.PoliceTestTutor.com
Carolyn Whitfield - Total Resumes
Rebecca Henninger - The Job Girl
Lauren Charbonneau - Protagonist Career Solutions LLC

1st Place
Amy Watt

CTO
Communications & Technology

2nd Place
Melissa Orpen-Tuz

Public Safety Leader
Government

3rd Place
Carolyn Whitfield

Global Operations Executive
Retail Sales

Best Classic High Tech Resume

Eve Ruth - Compelling Resumes
Laura Smith-Proulx - An Expert Resume
Marie Plett - Aspirations Career Services, Inc.
Paula Christensen - Strategic Career Coaches
Scott Nichols - Advanced Method Resumes & Career Services

1st Place
Eve Ruth

CTO
Communications & Technology

2nd Place
Marie Plett

Technology Executive
Communications & Technology

3rd Place
Laura Smith-Proulx

Product Engineering Executive
Communications & Technology